What Remains of Kannabi Bridge
by Regas 27
Summary: Twenty years ago Kakashi found himself at a great cost; and when he's forced to return and face his past and the ghosts he'd left behind, he learns how strong he really is at heart. KakaxSaku/KakaxRin ; language/content/violence
1. Chapter 1

**What Remains of Kannabi Bridge:**

Summary: Twenty years ago Kakashi found himself at a great cost; and when he's forced to return and face his past and the ghosts he'd left behind, he learns how strong he really is at heart.

Rated M: violence, language and later sexual content, you have been officialy forwarned

A/N: I re-read the Gaiden, cried my eyes out, and got inspired. ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; are you happy now?

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><p>"Lady Tsunade, a mission of S-rank just arrived from the Land of Stone."<p>

Hazel eyes looked up to greet Shizune with a cold glare. "Well, where is it?" She held her hand up expectantly. The poison user handed over the tan scroll and took a step back from the wooden desk.

Tsunade opened the mission and read through its details, ignoring locations for the current moment, "Three –man cell. Two Jounin's, and or a medic," she thought about it for a moment, "send Kakashi's team."

Shizune's eyes widened, "W-we can't do that Lady Tsunade!"

A golden brow rose, "And why not, they've all been deep in Kusa territory before, they can handle it."

"Did you even read the entire thing? We cannot send team Kakashi into Kusagakure!" Shizune slammed her fist down on the desk after pacing forward, "You'd have to be crazy to think that they could handle that!"

The hokage nodded and finished reading through the report before she sighed, "Oh…"Her heart sinking low into her stomach, "We don't have any other medic teams available…."

Shizune felt tears in her eyes, "We can't do that to him…"

"We have no choice."

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><p>The small clearing, often used for training was nearly silent, save for the light footfalls of a shinobi without a hidden agenda. His motives were blatantly known, warning on comers to not disturb him in his commonplace quest to visit the ghosts of his past.<p>

Mis-matched eyes roved over the cenotaph countless times before the man crouched low, and closed his eyes. His thoughts wandered to the faces of his current team, and teams of the past. He recalled the people he'd lost and he recalled the people in his life that had shaped the man he was. The people that had truly given a damn for the well-being of others when he'd been so anal and focused on the rules and regulations. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair before lowering his head band to hide the still iris of his Sharingan. Slate blue slid through the names again, forcing the man to push back the memories threatening to stretch free from the depths of his overfull sub-conscious.

Calloused fingers reached outward and ran along the names carved into the grey marble. He smiled at the stone. "I miss you all." Kakashi's head hung as silent tears fell, wetting the grass below him.

He'd learned so long ago that emotion was just a hindrance in the field, but he'd also learned that crying, even if alone, helped to cleanse the blood from ones soul, if only a minute amount. For now, he cried tears of longing and tears that said the words Kakashi couldn't seem to form;

_I'm so alone…_

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><p>Sakura turned on her heel, her hand fleeing from the storage pouch at her hip, shuriken flying in the direction of the targeted man from across the field. She turned again, leaping into the air dodging the attack aimed at her from her blonde teammate, senbon flying at him in retaliation.<p>

Blue eyes sparkled with the heat of adrenaline, the chemical pounding in his veins. "Aye, Sakura-chan, quit playing dirty will yah? I'd like to win at least once today."

Sakura smiled at him when her feet hit the ground again, declaring their match over. "You usually do win, I up my game a little and you complain like your thirteen again." She brushed her fingers through her hair, pulling the pink tendrils into a messy pony-tail. Her eyes focusing on the black hawk flying overhead, "Shit."

Naruto's eyes rolled, "We just got back!"

"Let's go, you dope." Sakura said, zipping up the red vest she'd become accustomed to wearing.

Naruto scratched his chin before lacing his fingers behind his head, "Whataya think it's for?" He said watching as the hawk cawed and swooped low in front of them before lifting into the air again, flying along the horizon it's onyx feathers standing out against the reds and oranges of the unsetting low in the sky.

"Well it's S-ranked." Sakura answered watching the bird's graceful movements. "Great." Beryl eyes looked up to the Hokage Tower, the opened bay windows of the Hokage's office were lit with pale yellow lights, giving Tsunade just enough light to accurately sort through mission reports sent directly to her.

Naruto hissed, "Granny is trying to kill us, isn't she?"

Sakura laughed, "At this point, probably."

They made their way up to the top floor of the tower; silently moving through the winding corridors. The silence was a comfortable presence as they approached, because they knew that saying something you'd regret before an S-ranked mission could haunt you for the rest of your life."

Naruto's fist lightly rapped on the wooden door.

"Enter." Tsunade called through the door.

They went into the office and took their positions next to Kakashi, who stood silently slouching. Sakura bowed her head, "You requested us, Lady Tsunade." A dark pink brow cocked wondering why she'd send them out so soon after getting them home.

Honey eyes dimmed and Sakura's heart sank. Something was wrong. "Cell Seven. Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura, and Uzumaki Naruto." Tsunade held up the scroll closed with a black seal. "You all just returned from a mission in the Land of Water; can you handle one so soon?"

"Hai." They answered in unison. Ready to take anything she had to throw at them.

Kakashi caught the scroll that was tossed his way; His brows rose, "Land of Stone; Kusagakure?"

Tsunade inclined her head, "Yes. Kakashi, please open and read your requirements." Kakashi turned for the door with a nod.

"No, here."

He stopped and turned back around as he broke the seal and unrolled the small scroll.

"S-rank mission; consisting of a three-man platoon, at least two Jounin required and/or a Medic. Objective: Infiltrate enemy territory in Earth Country, gather information on certain landmarks from the Third Shinobi War, including, but not limited to, Ao Point, Chishio Fields…K-Kannabi…Bridge…." He exhaled like someone had just landed a nasty kick to his stomach. His could feel his breathing becoming more labored as realization sunk in.

Sakura and Naruto watched as Kakashi's hands trembled and the visible points of his skin grew pale and clammy.

Kakashi's head shook, "Hokage-sama…" He breathed, his chest tightening with a true fear he'd felt only twice before.

Tsunade said nothing and simply looked at him and back at the team he was to lead. "You will leave immediately and send no reply until the job is done. Understood?"

The Kyuubi vessel and Medic both nodded with a "Hai."

Kakashi just stared at the paper; his hands still shaking. Memories of the bridge flooded his thoughts, these words that had been exchanged, and the lives that had been lost.

…_Those who break the rules and regulations are scum, that's true, but those who leave their fellows behind are even lower than that…_

The hand to his side clenched tightly before releasing, the trembles still present. He could feel the sweat on his brow, and the color lost from his cheeks. He looked up at Tsunade again, "Immediately…got it." He nodded to her and handed the scroll to Sakura before leaving the room, leaving a cloud of smoke billowing through the still air.

Sakura and Naruto both nodded their goodbyes and left the room through the window, heading to the roof of the tower.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "Please tell me you saw Kakashi shuddering too."

Sakura's beryl eyes looked to the blonde's blue ones then away. "Yeah…Kannabi Bridge, doesn't it sound familiar to you?"

He shrugged, "I guess so," His eyes shooting upward in thought, "Iruka-sensei would know."

Sakura nodded knowing that they'd have enough time to check into the location without worrying about being late.

They jumped from roof-top to roof-top until they came to the academy; Iruka just leaving.

"Hey Iruka-sensei!" Naruto called out.

Iruka turned around and looked up, smiling at the duo, "Well, hello Sakura-chan, Naruto-kun. What are you two up to?"

They landed next to the academy teacher will a dull thud, "Getting ready for a mission; we were wondering if you knew about a place called Kannabi Bridge?"

Iruka's eyes grew wide, "You're going on a mission to Kannabi Bridge…Alone?"

"No Kakashi's going with us, and that's what we wanted to ask you about, actually, because he had some really weird reaction when he read where we were headed." Naruto answered.

Iruka shook his head, "Kannabi Bridge, you're sure?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Do you remember the story I told you all about, the one with two heroes, and one of those heroes ended up with his name on the Third Ninja War memorial and the KIA cenotaph?"

Sakura nodded, "I think so, An Uchiha boy died, right?"

Iruka sighed and closed his eyes, "'Each with their own Sharingan', does that ring a bell?"

Sakura's eyes widened, "I remember it now, the two boys that saved their teammate in…Kusagakure…at Kannabi Bridge. Shit," Sakura hissed, "Kakashi was the surviving boy…." She closed her eyes and hung her head.

Naruto's chin rested against his chest, "Kakashi fought at the bridge."

"And lost his best-friend and teammate the day after his birthday; the day after he became a Jounin. Don't push him on this mission, don't ask questions, just get it done and get him out of there." Iruka gave them one last smile, "And good luck."

"Thanks sensei."

"Yeah…"

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><p>Kakashi's head hung, his chin resting against his chest as his eyes glued themselves to one name on the cenotaph,<p>

…_Uchiha Obito…_

"Did you see this coming, Obito?" He smiled weakly at the grey marble, "I always imagined we'd meet again when my time came…not like this."

Kakashi looked up as the rain fell around him, "It scares me. I don't think I'm strong enough to face this yet, to go back there. To face you." He swallowed hard, "I broke my promise…Rin is dead …I just wasn't strong enough for the both of us."

Kakashi's fingers slipped into the holster at his leg and pulled free the specialized kunai that Minato had given him those twenty years ago. "I'm a Jounin now, I have my own team, cell 7," He smiled again; "It's like looking at the past. What would you say if you could see me now? Hmm, Obito?"

Kakashi sighed sorrowfully, and turned to leave, "Until next time," The Jounin whispered to the stone.

He left with a heavy mind and a silent mouth; enjoying the quiet just a little longer. Kannabi Bridge, he'd never thought he'd have to face that demon again. It made him wonder what exactly was left of it, and if the cave where the incident had happened was still a pile of rocks? Had ANBU ever retrieved Obito's crushed body? If he had only listened to Obito in the first place, he'd still have the friend that made him see what being a ninja really meant.

Kakashi was wearily coming to terms with the mission when he reached the gates, his comrades waiting more patiently than usual.

"You ready to go, sensei?" Naruto buzzed as he hopped from his perch atop the wall.

Kakashi watched him with feigned interest. No insults? No scolding on his tardiness?

Sakura rubbed the back of her neck, "We should really get going, and get done." She didn't want to make it blatant that they knew why he was so upset, but she knew that he was picking up on their strange behavior.

Deciding it better not to ask, Kakashi nodded, "Let's go."

They left, taking off with a running start as they bounded through the trees, and through the night.

Kakashi shook his head as they moved forward; his past was growing ever closer, and the memory of the incident he wasn't willing to relive started to seep into his thoughts.

_What remained of Kannabi Bridge?_

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><p>This is going to be a longer fic, and I hope that I can pull it off. I hope you enjoy it, and I promise the next chapter will be of better quality, but this begged to be written.<p>

-regas


	2. Chapter 2

**What Remains of Kannabi Bridge:**

A/N: Just clearing up ages: Kakashi is thirty-three, and Naruto and Sakura are nineteen.

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><p>The trip to the Land of Stone border was a quick one; the platoon arrived outside enemy territory as dawn broke across the night sky, seemingly painted red and purple with easy brush strokes at the horizon.<p>

Kakashi eyed the trees surrounding and held his hand up, calling for his team to stop moving.

Sakura inhaled deeply, her sense of smell wasn't as strong as Kakashi's, but she knew how to use her nose when it came down to it. "Camouflage?" She whispered, asking with intent interest as she pulled a kunai from the holster at her leg. She couldn't see them, and she couldn't smell them.

Kakashi nodded to her, and closed his eyes. He could hear Sakura and Naruto shallowly breathing behind him, and nothing else. He held his breath, a small crack to his upper left. He turned and watched as Sakura easily dodged a barrage of shuriken, her feet sliding backwards still as she retaliated with her own barrage of poisoned senbon. Naruto leapt from his position, a near silent crack of bark behind him. Kakashi's Sharingan watched as the enemy fell from the tree.

"Guys, hold up." He called out; the enemy presence growing larger in number. "Shadow doppelgangers." He muttered. Did these guys ever learn new tricks? Kakashi crouched low, his hands swiftly shifting through hand signs. '_Fire style, flame of glory'_ he said to himself as his fingers went to his mouth to guide the flame.

The billowing ball of fire engulfed the small clearing, lighting up the ever fading darkness with an enraged orange source of light.

Sakura darted behind Kakashi, her keen eyes picking up the smoky silhouettes of the hidden enemy. Nodding to Naruto, they split up, taking out the enemy one by one as Kakashi's jutsu swept around the field.

Sakura leapt from the tree she was perched in, landing next to Kakashi, "I think that's all."

Naruto's feet hit the ground seconds after, "I don't sense anymore."

Kakashi sighed and inhaled, scenting for the smoke that would be left on the persons of interest. "That's all of them. Let's keep moving, we're closing in on the border and then we'll set camp there."

"Hai." They answered in unison.

Sakura looked up at Kakashi's profile as they moved through the trees; he was watching the horizon impassively, and she wondered just what was going through his busy mind.

Was he scared? She knew that that wasn't Kakashi like to show fear, but he had shown something when he'd read that damned scroll. Was he angry? She wondered, angry to revisit a place that caused him an unimaginable amount of pain? She debated asking him, and in the end decided that if he was going to let them in on it, then he would. Prying into Kakashi's mysterious past wasn't a priority right now, maybe in the future but they had a mission to finish. Story time could wait, despite Sakura's inner protests.

Naruto glanced at Sakura, and knew that the same thoughts he had were racing through her mind. He was hurting; it didn't take a genius to tell that this mission hurt Kakashi. Just his actions said so, the way he moved. He was ever-so-slightly hesitant to shift. It truly made Naruto wonder how steel-like his Sempai was. He knew that if Sakura-chan had died in front of him, he would have broke; heart and soul.

They made their way to the border and were relieved when Kakashi called for them to stop.

"We'll camp here guys, get some sleep," Kakashi's eyes darted around at the rolling hills of Stone, "we'll move out later this evening."

Naruto stretched his arms above his head, "Kusa isn't near as pretty as Konoha. How far are we from the village, Kaka-sensei?"

Kakashi looked up with mild attention, "Almost a day, but this is still technically Kusa land."

Naruto nodded, "Okay. Hey, there's a tree over there." He pointed outward into the distance, "Shouldn't we set camp over there, and get out of the sun?"

Kakashi shrugged and lifted his bag back onto his shoulder, following the Kyuubi Vessel. He looked to Sakura, "Tired?"

She gave a curt nod, "Yeah. But two or three hours, and I should be ready for another couple days. You?"

"Yeah."

Sakura smiled at Naruto when she and Kakashi reached the tree he'd been so happy to find, "Nice rock." She said, noting the stone beneath him.

He smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, well, it's huge!"

Kakashi froze, staring at the rock in front of him.

…"_It's healing," Rin had said with a weak smile as she had wrapped his arm and shoulder, "but if you aren't careful, the wound will open up."_

"_Yeah." Kakashi nodded staring at the rock in front of him as she tightened the bandages, he hissed pain when she pressed her hand against his wound, checking the stability of the wrap…_

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled snapping his fingers in front of Kakashi's face, "Earth to Kakashi, are you with us?"

Kakashi blinked a couple of times and shook his head, "Yes, sorry. Lost on the road of life." He smiled giving them his common eye crease.

Naruto just shook his head and started muttering about how he was going to buy Kakashi a map one day; Sakura's brow just rose in question as Kakashi hopped up on the rock to take the first watch.

She shook her head and lay down in the semi-tall grass using her arm as a pillow, not caring that the grass tickled her nose every time she moved or that she was slowly drifting off to that state of mind between sleeping and being awake.

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><p>Kakashi rested his head in his hands when he was sure that Sakura and Naruto were both sleeping, however soundly that may be. Tsunade was surely trying to killing, or at least find his breaking point.<p>

She knew what the bridge meant to him, and she knew very well what he thought of going back. He'd made that point very clear years ago when the Third Hokage was still running the village, but she'd been present, just as she'd been present when Anko had come home from Orochimaru, her memory blacked out. His hadn't been blacked out, he'd just refused to come to terms with the fact that Obito had died to save him, and given him the most precious thing he'd ever received. That interrogation was the only time he remembered actually showing such a fight against reality that he'd been hysterical.

_Shinobi Rule Number Twenty Five: Shinobi don't shed tears, emotions are hindrances on the battle field._

He scoffed to himself; every truly great ninja he'd ever known had showed emotion on the field. Did that make him a semi-great ninja?

"Sensei?"

Kakashi turned his head to see Sakura coming up the side of the rock. "…"

"I couldn't stay asleep." She sat next to him and looked out over the field and to the tree at her right. "I can take watch, if you want."

He shook his head, "I can't sleep."

"You should though."

He shrugged, "…"

Sakura rubbed the back of her neck nervously, "Can I ask you something personal?" She'd decided that even if story time was a no-go, he'd at least know she cared about what he was going through. And knowing, she'd learned a long time ago, could be so much better than any other form of support.

Kakashi glanced at her from the corner of his eye for a few moments, "I suppose."

"What exactly happened at Kannabi Bridge? Or better question, in this area? I don't mean to pry but…" She trailed off.

Kakashi closed his eyes. He let out a huff of air and turned his body to face her, "I'm telling you this because you're my teammate."

She dipped her, "Okay."

"I became a Jounin when I was thirteen, on my birthday. The fourth hokage, but back then he was just Minato-sensei to me, was my master and closest confident and it was the first team I'd ever actually stayed with for longer than a couple months." He smiled weakly at the memory. "It was my first mission as a Jounin. We were to invade enemy territory…here," His hand swept outward, gesturing to the landscape. The memories flooding his mind. "Uchiha Obito was late," he laughed, "And I gave him the third degree for being such a cry-baby, and he had the stupidest excuses, like an older lady needed help carrying her groceries or something."

Sakura's eyes widened in realization; so that's why he did that. "Sounds familiar."

"Yeah." He smiled at her, "They all had agreed to give me gifts, to help me as a top-shinobi. Needless to say, Obito didn't have anything. I told him it would have been garbage anyway and we continued out, onto our mission. My team specialized in sabotage, and we were to destroy Kannabi Bridge."

She nodded, "So, you were the strict one?"

"You could say that." He sighed, and continued on, "We set off on our own, Minato was to go to the front and distract the enemy for a little while longer. Rin, our team medic was captured, and I wanted to push on and finish the mission. Obito wouldn't have it, he refused to abandon her. I asked him if he realized what he was titling himself as, and he turned to me and said 'Yes I do, and that's why the White Fang was a true hero!'" Kakashi scratched the side of his face, "…Those who break the rules are scum, that's true, but those who leave their teammates behind are even lower than that. Sound familiar?"

Sakura nodded again, "Our first day training. You made sure we knew that, your entire lesson had to do with it. You wouldn't let us be ninja unless we learned teamwork."

He nodded in response, "Obito told me that before we went our separate ways. Me to finish our mission, and he to save our teammate. I remembered being so close to the bridge, and a wound I had taken to my shoulder opened up and I remembered how kind Rin had been to me, how she'd always watched out for us boys, and I decided that Obito was exactly right. So I turned around and caught up to him, he'd just stumbled across the cave where they were keeping Rin, and I remember him getting ready to go get her, but he hadn't seen the enemy. I leapt from the tree, my tanto slicing the bastard's skin. And he disappeared again, using the same camouflage we saw earlier. So we listened for him, and I turned pushing Obito out of the way, but his kunai slid down my face." Kakashi murmured as he lifted his headband.

"I fell back and the asshole disappeared again. Obito helped me up, and he was crying but it wasn't exactly for the reason I thought. He stood after I sat up, and he started rambling about how he was never able to do anything right, and he turned and yelled 'Die!' When I realized that he was crying because his Sharingan had awakened I couldn't help but stare in awe as he realized he could see chakra."

Sakura leaned forward, completely fascinated by the story, "Go on."

"So we went to get Rin. We attacked the enemy as a team, and after landing a nasty blow to him, I went forward and released the genjustu that she was under. We almost completely forgot that the guy wasn't dead; and he cast a jutsu and the cave started collapsing and we ran for the exit, but with my eye gone my entire left side was a blind spot, and I was hit. I fell and Obito turned to help, pushing me out of the way. Rin and I fell, and when we came to all we could here was Obito's strained voice asking if we were all right." Kakashi slowed down breathing deeply, getting a grip on his emotion.

"His entire right side was crushed, and he still managed to ask if we were all right. I tried so hard to move the rock, I needed to save him. He told me it was useless, that his right side was gone and that he probably wasn't going to make it."

Sakura stared back completely captured by Kakashi's words, tears forming in her eyes.

"I fell to my knees and cried, yelling 'Dammit' over and over again. 'So what I'm a cell leader, so what I made Jounin!' I blamed my self completely. I still do." Sakura watched as Kakashi put his hands on his knees and fought back the emotion overwhelming him.

"Obito smiled at us and told me that he was the only one to not give me a gift, and that he'd figured out a good one for me that wouldn't bring me down. He said, I'm giving you my Sharingan. I could feel the tears in my eye, and I nearly cried as Obito looked right at me with that crooked smile and told me that no matter what the village thought I was a great Jounin. That he wanted me to know that." Kakashi breathed out deeply and wiped a tear from his eyes, pretending to not be emotionally unstable.

"He told Rin to implant the eye in my socket, to replace the one I lost. He looked at me and I couldn't look at him as he spoke to me, he'd said I'm about to die, but I'll become your eye, and we'll see what happens in the future."

Sakura could hear the strain of his voice, could hear him breathing to fight back tears as he recalled the pain of so many year ago. Sakura could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks, and she didn't bother to wipe them away and hide them.

"I knew that the guy thought he'd killed all of us, so when Rin was done, I went to the top of the pile of rocks busted my way out and stood atop the heap of stone that was claiming my friends life. My new eye closed as my other looked down at the man. And he called me a cry baby told me to bring it on and die already, and I opened my new eye, I could see more than I'd ever had before . Obito spoke to me 'look after Rin for me, Kakashi'. I answered with a definite 'Yeah' and I leapt for the man, swinging my tanto down at him. Out blades connected and my tanto shattered. But I was faster now, could see his moves before he made them and formed chidori, my fist sinking through his stomach. I moved to the top of the pile and looked down at Rin and Obito, and Obito told me to take Rin and go, get away before reinforcements came. Rin hadn't wanted to leave as she sat and held his hand. I remember him crying and telling her to 'just go, it'd be okay' and he jerked his hand from hers. I reached down for her and it was too late, reinforcements had come and they were attacking. 'Rin take my hand now,' I'd cried. Obito yelled to her and she grabbed my hand, yelling his name as I pulled her out of the hole. I watched as he was covered with rocks. I got Rin and me away as fast as I could, and I told her how Obito had felt, how he'd loved her and that he'd died protecting her, so she'd know. She'd confessed her love to me and I told her the truth, that I was lower than scum I'd deserted her. He'd helped me perfect my jutsu, my chidori, and I told her to go, I'd hold the enemy off a little bit longer." He stopped his breathing heavy. He'd stopped wiping the tears that fell, and Sakura saw in his eyes how much this truly affected him.

"Everything had gone black. I woke up wondering if I was dead, and when I sat up worried I woke up here." Kakashi looked down at the rock. "On this rock, next to Minato. He'd explained how he'd gotten to us in the nick of time, but not soon enough for Obito. Then I remembered Rin, and Minato had only pointed, and I watched as she stood over there" he pointed outward, towards the field.

"Looking up at the night sky, watching the stars. We destroyed the bridge the day after; the only thing left of Obito was his stupid orange goggles; he'd left them behind when we went to save Rin. So when we a-arrived," Kakashi's voice quivered and more tears fell, "back at the village, his name was engraved on the stones and we place his goggles in front of the Third War memorial along with Rin's favorite flowers." Kakashi bit back the sobs forcing themselves up his throat. "Now you know."

Sakura wiped her cheeks with the heels of her hands, "…" She was speechless. "He really means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

"He was my best-friend, despite our squabbles. It's kind of like the relationship Sasuke and Naruto had, you could say." Kakashi looked away from her viridian gaze and wiped away his tears. "I usually don't let myself get so emotional around other people.

"Sensei…" She murmured, "It's okay to cry, it's a sign of strength, you know."

He laughed for a moment and looked up at her, "You could say the past isn't something I like reliving." He smiled at her, "You should go back to sleep. Our first objective is Ao Point; a blockade structure meant to keep Iwa Nin out of Kusa territory; and it's a good six-hour run from here. I suppose we'll camp there tonight, and start out in the morning from there and move onto Hana."

"What is Hana?"

"It's a river basin, just south of Ao. A pretty big battle took place over it, and that's sort of what helped start the rivalry between Kusa and Iwa in the third war." He said looking out over the grassy plain.

He pulled his knees to his chest and smiled up at Sakura, "You aren't tired are you?" He asked with amusement.

She shook her head, "Not really."

"Funny, neither am I."

* * *

><p>Naruto looked up as they darted through the trees, watching as Kakashi and Sakura fell in step, talking quietly. "Oi, I don't like being left out of the circle! What are yah's talking about?"<p>

Kakashi looked around at Naruto, "Well if you would keep up, you wouldn't be left out. We're going to make sure that repairs haven't been made to Ao point, that the wall his still down." He called back.

"Okay. What do we care about a stupid wall?"

"It was a major point during the war, if they're rebuilding it, then they're planning to use it again and we can't have that."

"Oh. Well, where is this stupid war wall then?" He asked, annoyed.

"I'd say about another hour due west." Kakashi answered back. "It's not that long of a journey, you know. We could have been sent to Sunagakure."

Naruto let out an angry huff of air, "At least the Gaara-kun would've greeted us with arms wide open, and a bed with suna-cotton sheets."

"Are you even allowed to refer to him as that?"

Naruto laughed and scratched behind his head, "Well, he doesn't care, you know, because we go way back." He thought about the last time he'd been in Suna and he and Gaara had set genjustu on Kankuro's stupid puppet things.

"Mmm," Kakashi hummed, "The Kazekage is a good friend, but isn't it a bit disrespectful? If you became Hokage today, he'd refer to you as such and not Naruto-kun."

"He would probably be in awe at my amazing abilities."

Sakura snickered, "To bad he knows you well enough to think otherwise."

Naruto growled in frustration, "You're just jealous because you don't have an awesome friend like Gaara."

She rolled her eyes and Kakashi laughed as the two bickered back and forth. They continued on, still arguing until Kakashi held his hand up, telling them to be silent. They were dangerously close to their objective.

He inhaled, and looked back at the duo, taping the top of his hand with two fingers three times. Sakura nodded and moved forward as Naruto moved left. Kakashi went lower, dropping down a couple branches until the wall came into his line sight.

Sakura dropped down next to Kakashi, "It looks like shit, but someone has fixed it up recently, I can still smell the wet cement." She told him as she limbered up he arms. "So, do we want to smash and go, or watch it crumble?"

Kakashi made note of the repairs to the foundation, "Smash and go, we have two other objectives to do as well, and if we hurry, we'll finish Hana tonight."

Sakura smiled at him as she dropped to the forest floor, checked for the enemy and slammed her fist into the ground. Kakashi and Naruto watched as the Earth beneath them split and crumbled, the minor contact force earth quake had the wall toppling over and falling to pieces. Sakura looked up and nodded to her team before leaping for the trees and leaving the area.

They caught up quickly, "You were controlling the mainstream of your chakra through the ground, right?" Kakashi asked as they moved through a forest of bamboo trees.

"Hai. Learning it was like learning to walk up a tree all over again."

Naruto scoffed, "Way to rub in how easy it was for you."

"Sorry. Like Lady Tsunade said, only a certain few have an exact control of chakra, and only those certain few can do that."

"Oi, Sakura-chan, you're just rubbing it in even more!"

Kakashi laughed, "Yes, but you have to consider Naruto you have nearly five times the amount of chakra Sakura does, plus the Kyuubi."

"Don't use Sakura-chan as your smoke screen; I have almost five times more than you too!"

Sakura smiled at Naruto, "But you don't have a permanent Sharingan that eats at your chakra constantly, Naruto." She smiled up at Kakashi.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Hehe, yeah, of course."

Sakura looked up at him, "Wait," she said, "You have five times less, naturally?"

He shrugged, "I wasn't exactly gifted with a monstrous amount of chakra. So I have learned to have near perfect control of it. It just seems like a lot."

"Oh…"

"How far is Hana?" Naruto asked bored with the current topic, "Close I hope, because I'm starving.'

"Take a soldier pill." Sakura shot back at him.

"Eww."

Kakashi thought about it for a moment, "I'd say…about thirty minutes at this pace." Kakashi looked up and leapt forward grabbing Sakura around the waist and Naruto by the collar of his shirt. He jerked them back and sat them down on the ground.

"Oi! What was that for?" Naruto hissed as he stood up, his hands rubbing his ass.

Sakura stood up and pressed the heel of her hand against her temple, "A little forewarning next time?" She asked her sensei. "Where's Kakashi?" She looked around and at Naruto. "He was just fucking here!"

Naruto looked up, "Saving our asses."

Sakura's gaze followed his and she watched as Kakashi sat in the tree, the body of an Iwa Nin lying next to him. "I almost didn't notice him." He yelled down to them. "Watch for the trip-line to your south, we're deep in Stone now, and they're waiting at every corner. Sakura this means no entries, or collapses. We don't need them to know where we are, understood?"

"Hai, Sensei!" They answered together.

"Then let's finish this job." He said, smiling down at them. "Keep your guard up, and your weapons close."

Kakashi looked to Sakura, her emerald eyes connecting with his mismatched ones for a moment, before her gaze dropped to the foliage beneath her.

… "_Kakashi…what are you doing way up there?" Rin had asked with a smile on her face as she looked up the tree Kakashi was perched in._

"_Hmm? I'm reading, Jiraiya-sama as a new book series, I was just looking into it." Kakashi had answered._

"_You mean that nasty, smutty one he was rambling about?"_

_Kakashi blushed, "Yeah that one." he looked down at her, her hazel eyes locking with his, "Why don't you come up here and sit with me?"_

"_Aren't you reading that nasty book?"_

"_I can put it away if you want me to." He'd said, smiling at her._

_Rin hopped up into the tree, "It's nice that you're at least trying to take an interest in Obito's hobbies."_

_Kakashi laughed, "This one is mine, and mine alone I must say." _

"_Oh yeah, so he was right, you are a closet pervert. Now I'm sad that I hadn't listened to him." _

"_Yeah…I think we all are. It's funny when your dead how people start listening, isn't it?"_

_Her gaze shot down to the bark, "Yes it is."…_

"If he's just going to keep zoning out like this during the mission, we might as well toss him over our shoulders and finish ourselves." Naruto said after failing to get Kakashi's attention.

Sakura gazed up at him, "He's going through a lot, you know. This place brings back some pretty hard memories for him."

Naruto rubbed his neck, embarrassed, "Yeah. I guess I shouldn't be so quick to jump the gun…" He looked back up, "Oi, Kaka-sensei, are you with us?"

Kakashi shook his head, "Uh, yeah. Sorry."

"Lost on the road of life again? I swear I'm going to buy you a fucking map."

Kakashi hopped down, giving the two his common eye-crease. "I appreciate the thought, but I always seem to find my way back."

"It's so you don't get lost in the first place."

Kakashi turned to Naruto, "I never truly get lost on that road; if I did, I wouldn't have come back."

Naruto's brow lifted his eyes wide. Did Kakashi just make a secret joke? Or did he just insult him? What the hell was that even supposed to mean? "What the hell is wrong with you?"

The blonde hissed as Sakura jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow, "Shut it, asshole." He glared at her as she shook her head, telling him to stop being so inconsiderate. "We have a mission to finish, let's go. Hana should be just south of here."

Kakashi nodded curtly, "About ten minutes if we sprint. We'll camp outside of there and move onto Kannabi Bridge tomorrow, take down any repairs that have been made, and we'll head home. Got it?"

Both shinobi hummed in agreement to his plan and they continued slowly due south towards the river basin. Kakashi watched the ground and trees around them with practiced precision making sure not to miss anything, any reflections or discolorations. Protecting Naruto and Sakura was his top priority at the moment, if anything happened to them, he'd never forgive himself.

Naruto looked around the dense bamboo forest. He much preferred the dense deciduous forests surrounding Konoha. The bamboo provided little coverage, and it was easy to stand out against the same shades of color. Especially in black and orange.

Sakura inhaled deeply, periodically checking the surrounding area for any scents that Kakashi's keen nose might have missed. She knew her sense of smell was nothing compared to Kakashi's but after training with Tsunade she'd gone back to training with Kakashi and she'd learned how to use her nose as well as her ears. She'd also learned just how ardent his senses were; Kakashi could out sniff any dog and he could seemingly hear the heartbeat of the earth.

He was the definition of control, and he was the definition of Shinobi. He had his quirks as well, she'd learned too. He loved miso soup with eggplant, and hated anything sweet. He was a great dancer and could certainly hold his own in a battle of wits. Kakashi however, as she'd learned, had a knack for swearing under pressure, or just in fits of boredom. He'd curse the day away, making sure everyone knew what was on his obscene mind.

If was funny how she hadn't heard him say anything overly dramatic lately.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei?"

He turned the next page in Icha-Icha, "Hmm?"

"You haven't said anything overly offensive lately, what's up?"

He picked his head up from the book, "Would you like me to?"

She shrugged, "Yeah, kinda. Just say something."

He snapped his book shut, "Hmm, something overly offensive…Fuck-a-doodle-doo."

She put her hand over her mouth, "Wow." She couldn't help but giggle.

Naruto shook his head, and stopped, "Is that Hana?" He asked pointing to what he assumed was a giant puddle.

Kakashi looked out through the trees, "Ah, that would be Hana. Hard to believe that that stupid puddle fed into the rage of war, ne?" He let out a huff of air, "It doesn't look like anyone's about."

Sakura bounced into one of the nearby trees, "Looks clear. What are we supposed to do here?"

"Make sure it's not in use. It doesn't look like its been used for years, besides," He looked up at the darkening sky, "We aren't in any real hurry. We might as well set up camp and sleep here for the night."

"I'll take the first watch!" Naruto cheered as he climbed to the spot where Sakura sat.

Kakashi nodded, "You do that."

Sakura watched as he hopped up into a nearby tree, both legs swung over the sides of the bough he was sitting on. His back rested against the trunk of the tree, and his head fell back against the bark.

"Poor Kakashi…"She murmured to Naruto. "He's exhausted, you know."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, That's why I'm taking watch. Besides, he's on edge as it is here, lack of sleep will only make it worse."

She sighed and leaned back against the tree. Her eyes drifting shut as sleep slowly took her from reality.

* * *

><p>That was a beast of a chapter! Well, for me anyway. I hope you liked it, I was up all night with it because I felt like I needed to get my ideas down and I kept re-writing it...so..yeah.<p>

-regas ookami


	3. Chapter 3

**What Remains of Kannabi Bridge:**

* * *

><p>"Sakura-chan, it's time to go. Come on…" Naruto yelled as he shook her shoulder, waking her from a dreamless sleep.<p>

She stretched her arms over her head and yawned loudly as joints popped. "I'm up." She told him as she swung herself down from the tree. She landed on the ground softly and looked around. The bamboo seemed a lighter green in the morning, but it still wasn't like looking at home.

Kakashi glanced up at Sakura and Naruto as they approached the waters edge as he stood out in the middle of the small river resin, looking around at the familiar territory. He closed his eyes and sighed as he opened them again staring out at the waters surface.

…_Kakashi held his hand up, rubbing his thumb along his fingers, signaling for the trio to stop. He sniffed the air, listening as he heard footsteps on the surface of the water. He looked up in horror as bamboo spears flew in their direction._

_Obito ran forward, his hands switching through hand signs, 'fire style: fireball technique ' he told himself as his middle and pointer finger went to his lips, guiding the ball of fire to protect Rin and Kakashi from the oncoming attack._

_They boys surged forward as one of the enemy approached, Kakashi leapt into the air, attacking and warding off the man the best he could. Kakashi and Obito pulled back as Rin let out a shrill scream._

_They looked out over the water, watching as the enemy picked her up. 'She has found a new master." The man had sneered. Kakashi ran forward as they disappeared, 'Wait!' he'd yelled…._

Sakura watched Kakashi's body movements, and how he breathed. He was just staring at the water like it had just threatened to take his porn away. His head picked up, but she could tell he wasn't looking at her directly.

"Wait…" He breathed, looking straight through her.

Naruto's eyebrows rose in skepticism, "Why does he keep doing that?"

Sakura glanced over at the blonde, "Doing what?"

"Zoning out, that's like the third time or something."

Sakura smacked the back of his head, "He watched his best friend die here, you ass. They're called flash backs." She went back to watching him. "What do you think it's about?"

"Anything, knowing him. What did he tell you yesterday, I caught bits and pieces, but I was too tired to really pay any attention?"

"He watched his friend die. That's pretty much the gist of it." Sakura didn't have the heart to retell that story. Not only would she not do it right, she'd cry through the entire thing.

Kakashi let out a huff of air and closed his eyes as he came to. "Shit." His hands went to his face as he composed himself.

"You okay?"

He looked up from his hands, "Fine, just not in any hurry to leave." He swallowed hard. "Ready?"

"Shouldn't we eat first?" Sakura inquired, hoping to buy them a little more time. "I mean a decent meal. We haven't eaten in two days."

Kakashi nodded, "I think Sakura's right, Naruto. Aren't you still hungry?"

"Well duh!" he uttered completely exasperated, "Aren't you all hungry?"

Sakura slapped him again, "You are such a blonde."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, "What was that for, Sakura-chan? That hurt, yah know!" He growled to her as he whined at the bump on his head. She was too strong for her own good sometimes, he thought. Girls shouldn't be able to hit that hard especially pretty girls like Sakura-chan. "Bitch." He muttered as she headed back for the bank of the resin.

Sakura turned around to look at him, "What did you just call me?"

"I said I have an itch?"

Kakashi shook his head, "He called you a bitch, Sakura. You'd better watch out now, blondie. She'll kick your ass. Maybe not today, and maybe not the next day but she'll do it."

Naruto started back incredulously, "Oi, I thought you were on my side, Kaka-sensei? Where the hell is the bro-code?"

The Jounin shrugged, "I don't know, maybe it'll be written on that handy-dandy little map you're so intent on buying me." Kakashi scratched back of his head, "Now can we stop arguing and eat something? Soldier pills aren't going to hold me over until we get back home."

Naruto glanced down at his growling stomach. "Food sounds really good right now."

* * *

><p>Naruto ate his ramen silently as he watched Sakura and Kakashi go over strategies to approach the bridge and destroy it if it happened to have repairs or if it had been rebuilt. He personally liked Sakura's idea of smashing it to shit and getting the hell out of the area. Kakashi of course, wanted to do the proper thing and scope it out, leave it be, if it's still in ruins, or just knock it down again if it's been rebuilt.<p>

Sakura's just sounded more fun.

"Okay, so if we take this route," Sakura told them as she pointed to a back trail on her map, "We'll get there in, let's say…ten hours."

Kakashi shook his head, "That route leads right through a Kusa temple, and we aren't exactly on good terms with them at the moment. This route through here…" Kakashi said pointing to a trail running along a river nearly two kilometers away, "Is safe. The water isn't drinkable, so villages are made away from it, and the closest source of fresh water is that resin down there."

"It's a two day trip then, if we follow the river." Sakura deadpanned at him.

He sighed, "Just trust me on this. We don't need to run into a group of rebel Iwa and Kusa Nin. We'd be out numbered, and they'd be on their turf." He pointed to a small town marked on the map. "We can stop into the village if we get moving soon, and get a room. They rely on rain water and limestone filters through their springs. It's not much, but they're nice folk and know how to share."

Naruto scratched his cheek with a chopstick, "Why isn't the water drinkable in that river?"

"Well, it's mainly salt for one thing, and it's high in sulfur and some chemicals you probably don't want in your system."

"People drink sulfur water all the time." Sakura told him matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, well, you don't want to drink this. The lead that you would take in would kill you. It passes through a galena depository up here," He pointed to the spot on the map, "along with some sacrifite."

"You could have just said that it passed through sacrifite."

"What's sacrifite?" Naruto asked, a bit dumbfounded by the rock.

Sakura picked up a rock and showed it to him, "Let's pretend this is sacrifite. Pretend it's white and shiny, and when you touch it, a powder is rubbed off of it, okay?"

Naruto nodded, "Alright."

"That powder, Naruto, reacts with your chakra and your Ninpou points like the rasen-shuriken. It disintegrates them. If ingested, this rock literally makes your stomach explode because of the extreme reaction to your chakra."

Sakura laughed at the look of disgust on Naruto's face, "That's not right!"

Kakashi smiled at Sakura, "Great, now you've gone and scarred him."

"Well, it's not like we run across it very much." She smiled across the small fire at him. She felt her heart sink at the look in his eyes. A look that said, _'thank you'_. She nodded and mouthed the words, _'your welcome'_.

Viridian eyes looked away from the mis-matched ones they held and back down at the food sitting in Sakura's lap. "Naruto?"

The blonde peeked up at her from his ramen, "Yeah?"

"Do you want the rest of mine?"

"Well, yeah! Ramen shouldn't go to waste!" He answered happily as he took her bowl from her.

She nodded her thanks and stood up, "I'm going to the water, I need to wash up a bit from that fight we had yesterday. I figure Stone ninja's are decent trackers."

Kakashi and Naruto watched as she walked away and down the hill.

Naruto looked at Kakashi and sighed, "She really, really trusts you, yah know." He swallowed lightly, "I don't want her hurt if you loose it out here, you have no idea what that would do to her."

"Well I figure you both trust me. We've worked together for nearly eight years." Kakashi advised him coolly. "Trust is something you need if a team is going to work."

"I mean," he paused gathering his words, "She _really _trusts you. Don't get me wrong, she loves Granny, but you are her idol. She looks up to you…I don't know how to say it, I guess." He scratched his chin, "It's not trust, and really it's…so much more to her."

"She told you all this?"

"No. I may be blonde, but I'm not near as oblivious as I used to be, at least not in the matter of my closest friends."

"So she has a reliance on me?"

Naruto shook his hand, "Sort of. I don't know how to say it, I told you. It's…" He thought about it for a moment. "Do you remember how she was when Sasuke left?"

Kakashi nodded verbosely, slowly, "How could I forget?"

"If something happened to you, she'd be worse than that."

Kakashi's eyes slowly gazed down at the dusty-sand colored soil. _Worse than when Sasuke left?_

"What do you mean, Naruto?"

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "I think maybe…you know. Sakura…likes you likes you, you know."

"Likes me, Likes me? What is that, some kind of slang?" Kakashi recalled Gai saying something along those lines when he hooked up with Anko, but other than that he had no recollection of the meaning.

"I mean…She…you know," He bit the inside of his cheek in thought, "_Likes_ you. It's kinda weird though, because you're our teacher and stuff."

"_Likes_ me?" Kakashi's brows rose, "Oh. Why didn't she tell me?"

Naruto shrugged, "I think she's embarrassed, because you're our teacher."

"Was your teacher. We're equals, remember?"

"Whatever. I just don't want to see her broken again, you know?"

He sighed, "I think I should go talk to her then"…Kakashi held out his small bowl of ramen. "Want it?"

Naruto grinned, "Well yeah!"

Kakashi got to his feet and wiped his pants off before moseying to the waters bank where Sakura sat, skipping stones across the water. He watched as one bounced four times, another going seven before plunking into the water, never to be seen again.

"Do you mind if I join you?" He asked calmly.

She shrugged and shook her head.

Kakashi sat adjacent to her. He picked up a rock tossed it in the air and caught it before skipping it out over the water.

Sakura watched as the rock skipped, "…Fifteen, sixteen…" She counted out loud. "Damn."

Kakashi smiled, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Shoot."

"Well, a little fox-gone-birdie has put it in my ear that Haruno Sakura may actually have a crush on her old sensei. I was hoping you could elaborate just what 'she _likes _you' means?"

Sakura's head lowered and the heat rose in her cheeks. "You shouldn't listen to rumors."

"Something tells me the rumor isn't to far off of the mark." He inclined his head trying to see her face. "Did that dumb little puppy hit the nail on the head?"

Sakura looked at him from the corner of her eye, "That dumb-mutt is going to be neutered if he's not careful with his words." She turned her head away from Kakashi.

"Are you embarrassed that you feel that way about me?"

Sakura wanted to crawl into a hole and die; she wanted to combust into flames and die, she really didn't care how as long as she ended up dead at this moment. Why did he have to pursue everything that involved her personal life? It was like a fucking hobby to him.

"Are you going to ignore me?"

No answer.

"Sakura look at me."

She kept her head turned away from him.

"Don't make me force you."

She swallowed hard and stayed put.

Kakashi reached his hand up and gripped her chin, his fingers pulling her face so she was looking into his lone blue eye. "Don't ever be ashamed of something like that." He told her, his voice heavy and weary.

She sighed, "For…wanting my superior? Yeah, you're right; there is nothing to be ashamed of in that!" She cheered sarcastically.

Kakashi closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "I meant for loving someone…"

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Rule Number Twenty-five specifically that_"

"Sometimes the greatest ninja are the ones who can wear their hearts on their sleeves and still be proud of who they are." He whispered to her. His heart heavy, "Just remember that."

Her eyes locked with his, his nose almost touching hers. She tilted her head slightly, her nose bumping against his at their proximity.

"Oi! Are you two done cleaning up? We have a mission to complete!" Naruto called down the hill, far enough away to not see what was going on.

Kakashi stood, completely pulling back from Sakura. "He's right." His hand reached down for hers, "We should get going."

Sakura took his gloved hand and he helped her up. "Fill your supply here; we won't have fresh water for a few days. I'll go tell Naruto." She told him matter-of-factly before marching up the hill and leaving him there questioning her attitude.

What had he done this time?

* * *

><p>"God, how much longer to we have to walk?" Naruto whined his feet were throbbing in protest. This terrain was terrible, and he was hungry again.<p>

Sakura rolled her eyes and Kakashi ignored him, his eyes focused on the words in his book. He'd whined for the last two hours, about his feet, about how hungry he was, or how he didn't want to walk anymore.

"Why don't we play the quiet game?" Sakura ground out when Naruto said something about his stomach growling. If he didn't shut up she was going to drown him in that damned river.

Naruto rubbed his chin, "I dunno. What's in it for me?"

"I will by you all you can eat ramen at Ichiraku's when we get home."

Naruto smiled, giddy and excited, "Let do this then."

Sakura shook her head, "Go."

Kakashi looked over his book at the now silent member of the team. Why the hell hadn't he thought of that? "Oh hey, Naruto, what's in it for Sakura?"

Naruto looked over at Kakashi a frown on his face. He pointed to his mouth and shook his head.

"Can I pick it then?"

Naruto nodded and smiled with a silent laugh at Sakura.

Kakashi smiled as Sakura rolled her eyes again, "How about…you have to take her on a shopping spree, and buy her what ever she wants. Fair?"

Sakura smiled at Kakashi and nodded her head. Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and began pouting, pissed that Kakashi would be so cruel as to threaten his wallet with girly things. His wallet didn't deserve that! It was still recovering from when Percy Sage had taken it on a spree.

Kakashi smiled…Naruto wasn't budging, "Hey Naruto?"

He looked at his sensei, eyebrow cocked, "…"

"Didn't you know that Ichiraku is closing?"

"Whaaa?" Naruto's jaw dropped, "What? Why?"

"Just Kidding!" Kakashi said with a smile on his face, his eyes creased like half-moons.

Sakura started to laugh, "Ninja are supposed to see underneath the underneath Naruto. You made Chunin how?"

Naruto scowled, "Assholes. Hey, Kakashi let us get those damned bells three years ago when we threatened to tell him about his porn."

Kakashi held his hand up in defense, "You used my weakness against me because you'd had the book before me. You're at Ichiraku everyday when we're at home. You'd be the first to know if it was closing."

Sakura shook her hand and pointed a finger at Kakashi, "Now he's going to complain again! Why don't you just put your nose back into that damned smut of yours?"

Kakashi shrugged, "At least he's talking to me. What did I do to earn myself the silent treatment?"

"Nothing, I'm just in a fowl mood and taking it out on you."

"We both know that's a lie. What's wrong?"

"Just focus on the damned mission."

"It's still a good two day walk."

"Then run." She told him straight-faced.

Kakashi rolled his eyes this time, "Are you PMSing? It's not right to take it out on me if you are. Take it out on Naruto."

"Hey!" Naruto hissed, "I'm just fine without her breathing down my neck and snapping my dick off, thank you very much."

"Men are so…so…stupid!"

Kakashi stopped his book snapping shut, "You'd better take that back."

"Men. Are. Stupid."

Kakashi's face got dangerously close to Sakura's, "If you were smart, Kouhai, you'd shut your mouth while your still ahead."

"Shut my mouth? I don't think so, I'm irritable, Naruto won't shut his face, I haven't eaten a decent meal in a weak, I slept like shit last night, all the while I have you-issues to deal with, so you'd be better off to shut your mouth while you're ahead, Sempai."

Naruto kept his mouth shut as he watched the scene before him unravel. What the hell had Kakashi said to her, or on the matter, done to her?

"Please elaborate on the issues you have with me, because I don't understand, Sakura."

Naruto turned and jumped across the water. "I'm just going to take a leak…over here…"

Sakura pushed her nose against Kakashi's, "Well number one, you come telling me that I should wear my heart on my shoulder, and then you turn around, pull a one-eighty and act like nothing happened! What the fuck, Kakashi?"

"Nothing happened! I don't understand why you're so upset over it!"

"Because dumb-shit there told you I liked you, and you just prance around like we didn't almost kiss!"

"Is that what this is about?"

"Yes! You bastard, my heart is all over my fucking arm and you just act like you don't know! Fine, you don't want me; I get it, but at least have some class!"

"You are over reacting, Sakura."

She through her hand in the air, "Maybe I am, but please forgive me if the person I _love _is just going to act like he doesn't know my feeling for him!"

"When the hell did you start loving me, huh? This is out of the blue for me!"

"I don't know Kakashi; could it be when we were teamed in ANBU together for two and a half years? I saw a side of you that I genuinely liked, the person you really are. The side of you that actually wears his heart out in the open?" She looked into his eyes, "I saw the side that like to joke around, to have a conversation. The side you hide."

Kakashi hung his head, "It was two years, seven months and sixteen days."

"What?"

"That's how long we were teamed in ANBU."

"Why…" Sakura looked away awkwardly, her face turning red. She looked around, the third member of their party missing. "Where is Naruto?"

Kakashi looked up and sniffed the air, "Shit." He cursed as he pulled a kunai from the pouch at his hip. "I didn't even notice them…" He looked around, no one in sight. "I think they took him."

"Without him kicking and screaming?" Sakura asked, "Genjutsu?"

Kakashi nodded, "It's the best explanation," Kakashi brought his fingers in front of his face, "Kai, Release!"

Sakura shook her head when nothing happened, "They already got him out of our range." She sighed and shifted through hand signs before slamming her fist onto the ground.

With a small 'puff' Sakura's ninkin summons appeared. "Karasu, I need you to find Naruto now."

The dog nodded, before sniffing the air. "His scent is barely there, Sakura. I think one of Kakashi's summons would be better at sniffing him out than I am."

"God you're useless, just fucking find him. Go!" She scolded angrily.

The dog snarled at her before turning around to run through the trees.

"Let's hope he finds him." Kakashi said wearily, "It's almost like history is trying to repeat itself."

* * *

><p>Well I hope you liked it. I tried to work with it, so I'm sorry if they seem out of character to you… Next Chapter WILL be better, promise.<p>

-regas ookami


	4. Chapter 4

**What Remains of Kannabi Bridge:**

* * *

><p>Kakashi and Sakura made their way silently through the forest made up of different types of bamboo and deciduous trees, stopping only when they heard sounds that didn't pertain to the usual wildlife of Kusa forests.<p>

Sakura sighed and bit back her questions as she and Kakashi scaled their way up a tall oak tree, trying to get an upper-focus view of the forest floor. Sakura's back pressed to Kakashi's as they surveyed different ranges of the wooded area.

"I don't see anything. How are things on Karasu's end?" Kakashi asked with a sad sigh.

Sakura shook her head, "Not so good. He's lost the scent. The assholes went through the river." She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For yelling at you, for bringing my emotions into this. This has got to be killing you, and then we loose Naruto. I'm the worst Jounin ever." She slapped her hands to her face and moaned out in frustration she said more but it was muffled by her hands.

Kakashi turned around to face her, his hands scooting away her hands before picking up her chin. "You are a great Jounin. Don't ever let anyone tell you different, Sakura."

She smiled weakly at him and nodded, "Okay."

Kakashi bit the inside of his cheek, "We might as well call in my dogs. More noses. Better chances. You should call in the rest of yours too and let Karasu take a rest."

Sakura nodded, forming her own unique hand seals along side Kakashi's. They slammed their hands down on the bough at the same time, the tell tale pops alerting them that all of the dogs had been summoned.

Pakkun lifted his paw, "Yo, Kakashi, Sakura-chan."

"Pakkun, Naruto's been taken, and we need you and the teams to track him down. Understood?" Kakashi said to the pug with a strict tone in his voice. "Scatter."

The dogs left the tree in the blink of an eye, scattering every which way in search of the Kyuubi holder.

Kakashi looked to Sakura, "All we can do is wait now."

Sakura stood there her head hanging. It was her fault Naruto was gone. "How do you do it?"

Kakashi looked down at her, 'Do what?"

"Live with the fear and the guilt? It's driving me mad…"

"I try not to think about it. It's always at the back of my mind though, just sitting there. I just, I try not to let it eat at me. I was a mess for months after Obito's death, and years after Rin's, but I learn to cope and push forward."

Sakura crossed her legs and sat down and waited until Kakashi sat as well, "How did she die?"

Kakashi glanced at Sakura from the corner of his eye. "She died on our first S-class mission together. We we're attacked by Rogue ANBU members from outside of Iwa. She took a couple nasty barrages of shuriken to the stomach, and then a kick to the head with a bladed boot." Kakashi sighed, "I was in the hospital three weeks after."

"Is that where your fear of them stems from?"

"Sort of. They brought me in, with Rin's dead body lying on top of mine. I lay next to my dead-best friend for three hours, Sakura. You'd fear that damned place too, if you were me."

Sakura put her hand on top of Kakashi's. She wasn't going to say she understood; she wasn't going to lie. All she could do was offer her hand in comfort to him, and hope it was enough.

He smiled up at her, "We'll find him, you know."

She shrugged, "And if we don't?"

"Then we'll keep looking."

"How can you be so optimistic?"

"I'm not, I'm realistic."

Sakura leaned her head on his shoulder, "I miss being with you in ANBU, Kakashi."

"Mm…"

"We always got along; we always worked through a situation. I'm thinking of going back to that…"

"Without me?"

"I worked well in ANBU, period. The fast pace of it, everything. It worked for me." She looked down at her lap for a moment. "Do you ever miss it?"

"I miss working with you on that level, as for ANBU it's self, I could care less. I quit for a reason the first time, and only joined because you needed a partner ranked as captain, and I quit because you quit. If you join again, chances are I will as well, there aren't many captain ranked single-teams that I would trust with you."

Viridian eyes looked up into his lone blue one, "You worry that much about me?"

"You could certainly say that."

Sakura felt her cheeks go red. She hated it when he did that to her, when he made her blush like an over obsessed fan-girl. What was wrong with her?

She could feel her heart race as Kakashi slowly closed the distance between their faces, "I think I owe you this…" His nose brushed hers.

"We've found him." A rough voice said.

Kakashi pulled away from Sakura, "Thank you, Bull." He patted the big dog on his head, "you can go. Pakkun will assist."

The big dog grunted and disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

Sakura sighed, "Let's go get our knuckle-head ninja then."

Kakashi nodded and followed as she leapt from the tree. Pissed and frustrated.

* * *

><p>Kakashi and Sakura ducked low as they approached and open-mouth cave, seeing into clearly. There were three men besides Naruto who was tide up and gagged lying on the dirt floor of the crevice.<p>

"Can we take them?" Sakura whispered, watching Kakashi as he silently sized up the men surrounding their comrade.

Kakashi tipped his head to one side, "I recognize one of the men from the bingo books he's an S-class criminal. I think we can take them, I don't sense any others."

Sakura nodded and pulled Kunai from her pouch, "I'll take the guy on the left, and you handle the others?" She asked in a hushed tone.

"Yeah." He said before he jumped and left her lying in hiding. She waited until they were distracted by him before leaving her position to attack her target.

She came up behind the man, the kunai at his neck, "Let's go, asshole." She whispered in his ear, viperously.

The man stayed quiet as Sakura dragged him from the cave into the forest. "Who are you, and what do you want?" She snarled, the knife at his throat tightening.

"My boss just told me to g-grab the kid! We wasn't gonna hurt him, honest! I don't know anything else! I swear!" The man who was barely more than a kid cried. "Please don't kill me!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Your friends were definitely going to kill him, give me one good reason why you shouldn't already be dead?"

His pleading eyes looked up at her as he dropped to his knees. "I swear I didn't know, lady! I just do what I have to, to feed my family. He pays real well!" He sobbed.

Sakura scowled, pinch a nerve in his shoulder and laid his limp body down on the forest floor. "What a baby."

Sakura turned to go back to the cave and felt something hard hit her over the head before she felt to the ground with a string of loud curses. "Fuckers." She rolled over, barely blocking a boot aimed for her head. "Assholes." She hissed as she stumbled to her feet missing a block to her side. A kunai hit the unguarded side. "Shit, shit, shit."

She fell to the ground, gripping her side as she blocked another kick for her head. "Kakashi!" she screamed out, crying out as another kick was landed to her stomach. She sobbed when she felt something in her back crack when another kick landed just above her hip.

"Kakashi!" She cried, trying her best to defend with her free arm. He blocked one kick, and was hit by the next. The onslaught taking its toll on her. "Fuck!"

She felt something warm and wet hit her face, and she looked up as the man attacking her fell the ground. She closed her eyes as Kakashi pulled him away from her, only to open them again when he fell to her side.

"I'm sorry." His hand went underneath her head, preparing to help her up.

"Don't move me; something's broken in my back…and my lung is collapsing…" She panted, "He came out of nowhere. I couldn't even… defend…" She hissed, "Is Naruto alright?"

"Yeah, he's tying up the other guy. The others were hidden. We can't continue this mission if you're hurt." He told her.

She shook her head slowly, "No, send Naruto. Or go yourself, we're finishing the mission, got it?" She smiled up at him, "It'll take a while but I can fix it. It compromised some of my lines, but I can do it." She closed her eyes at an oncoming headache.

Kakashi adjusted himself so he was sitting next to Sakura, "I'll send a doppelganger and Naruto. I'm not leaving."

"Leave a doppelganger and go…" She hissed as she grabbed at her side, "How the…hell deep is it?"

Kakashi's eyes glanced up at the wound and he visibly winced. 'Well, my guess is, you're in shock already."

She rolled her eyes, "Great." She shifted her eyes from Kakashi's face to Naruto's dirty one, "Hey."

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto cooed, "God what happened?"

"She was ambushed." Kakashi cut in before Sakura could answer. "I'm sending you on with a doppelganger. Someone needs to stay with her."

Naruto nodded as Kakashi's clone appeared next to him, "Alright. I'm going on then…Keep her safe Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi nodded and watched as the clone and the Kyuubi vessel left the small clearing disappearing into the trees.

Kakashi looked back down at Sakura. "You alright?"

"Yeah…Just sore." She whispered… "I've stopped the bleeding, I need you to pull the Kunai, okay?"

Kakashi shuddered as his hand reached out for the handle, "Okay." He pulled it up quickly, trying to ignore Sakura's cry of pain. "I'm sorry."

"I asked you to do it…now put pressure on it, but don't touch my back." She told him as she struggled to get her hand on the wound to seal it up.

"I swear, as soon as we get back I'm buying you a nice dinner."

"Why would you do that?"

"Well, every time I leave a comrade unattended something happens."

"Naruto left us. You attended with Rin. You went back and helped Obito…" She smiled weakly, "You're a great partner, Kakashi. Lady Luck just doesn't like you all that much."

"Gee, thanks." He mocked hurt as he smiled down at her. "I thought you said you stopped the bleeding?" He asked wearily as he looked down at the deep-red blood flooding between his fingers.

Sakura hissed, "I did…I'm healing it properly, so the wound opened up again. Just keep pressure, I'll be fine."

He nodded and swallowed slowly, watching as the blood on his hands seemed to gather more and more and get darker. "Sakura?"

"Hmm?'

"Just checking…" He felt that he needed to every so often with the amount of blood she was loosing.

Kakashi watched the gentle rise and fall of Sakura's chest below his hands and sighed. "You alright?"

"Just dandy," She murmured.

"I'm sorry."

"You say it again, I'll slap you. With my foot."

"Nice to know you still have a sense of humor." He told her.

"Mm, yeah. It's nice to know your still captain obvious."

"Well, I have to check on my sergeant sarcasm, you know." Kakashi chuckles lightly. "How much longer until it stops bleeding?"

Sakura let out a huff of air, "Just a couple more minutes, I have to repair the tissues in my lung. Why?"

Kakashi shook his head, "Just wondering." His pants were covered in her blood, along with the sleeves of his shirt. How the hell could so much blood be in such a small person?

Kakashi turned his head and looked around in the trees, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. Someone not friendly was watching them.

"Sakura?"

"Mmm…Sakura has left, please leave a message, if this is Kakashi, stop calling." Sakura said casually, trying to secretly tell Kakashi where the enemy was hiding.

Kakashi nodded, his eyes grazing to his right. The trees were nearly motionless save for the few leaves spiraling to the ground. The wind wasn't blowing, he smiled. Gotcha.

"Sakura I need to, you know…go."

She nodded slowly, "Just make it fast. You would have to pee while I'm bleeding like a stuck-hog."

He shrugged and headed off into the trees, going left but slowly sneaking to Sakura's right. He slowly made the hand signs for a fire-style jutsu but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Sakura not lying in the clearing.

Crack. He looked up, the enemies' silhouettes barely visible as they dropped from the tree swinging weapons at him. His arms went up over his head in defense; it was too late to attack. Kakashi closed his eyes when he heard a loud chirping sound and the loud growl of an angry person around him.

"Bastards." He hears someone cry out. He picked his head up to find Sakura standing in front of him, her hands still zapping with the later effects of Chidori.

He rushed to catch her as she collapsed to the ground. She fell into his arms as he fell back. "Sakura!"

She was panting and tears were rolling down her face, her hands trembling and scorched. "I didn't know I could perform that jutsu…" She muttered, "I didn't know it hurt so much…"

Kakashi took her wrist and looked at her hands; it was red and bleeding slightly in some parts. "I didn't know you could use lightning type chakra." He whispered to her.

"Fuck. Neither did I, I needed something quick that wouldn't kill my chakra. Chidori was the only thing I could think of. I healed myself enough to walk…you're going to have to help me out though…"

He nodded and helped her to her feet, "That's fine." He threw her arm over his shoulder. "Did you stop the bleeding?"

"It was stopped awhile ago; you just thought I was because you kept moving your fingers."

"Ha-ha, very funny."

She nodded, "No, seriously."

Kakashi stops and looks at her "Don't ever pull a stunt like that again!"

"Like what?"

"Like…Like that!" he gestured to her hands, "I thought something bad had happened to you." He murmured tightening his grip around her.

She smiled at him, "I'm stronger than that, Kakashi. This," She held up her hands, "Is nothing."

Kakashi smiled down at her his eyes meeting hers, "I know, but I worry for the people I care about."

* * *

><p>I'm trying to build up the KakaSaku Drama, but…I think I'm failing….<p>

Oh and more flashbacks next chapter, just a heads up –um- They're mature ones so…keep that in mind.

-regas


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